OYSTERS OF THE WEST COAST
lar piece; those from cultivated beds
somewhat larger.
Although California (San Francisco
County) is credited in the report of the
United States Fish Commissioner for
1904 with producing 300,000 pounds, of
the value of $92,000, the principal supply
of that city is derived from certain local
ities in Washington, which state, ac
cording to the same report, exhibits a
yield of I,069,461 pounds (equal to
152,780 bushels), valued at $279,312,
while the Oregon statistics show only
6,944 pounds, worth $1,488. It will be
seen that the value of "natives" for.the
year, in the three states, makes a total of
$372,800-no insignificant sum-being
more than half the value of the annual
output of the Atlantic or transplanted
oyster.
The oyster-beds of Washington are
subject to occasional severe climatic con
tingencies.
The Puget Sound oyster-beds are at
Samish Bay, in Skagget County; Oyster
Bay, in Mason County, and Mud Bay,
Big Skookum, and North Bay, in Thurs
ton County; on the ocean coast of Wash
ington, Shoalwater or Willapa Bay and
Toke Point cove. The Oregon region
is pretty much restricted to Yaquina Bay,
in Lincoln County.
On the night of January 13, 1907, the
concurrence of an unusually low tide
and a cold snap, the temperature having
fallen to 18 degrees below the freezing
mark, was disastrous to the oysters and
oyster-beds, both native and eastern
plants, in many localities in different
parts of Puget Sound. The loss was
estimated at "several hundred thousand
dollars,"
as "new beds will have to be
planted, and it will be five years before
the so-called 'Olympia oyster' will again
be on the market."
All along our western coasts the tides
range very large in January, running
above average height and below average
low water. Here (San Francisco) they
ranged from 7 to 8 feet in January. At
Olympia they must range nearly three
times that (17.2 feet). In June there is
a good range, but not equal to January.
Of course there are certain conditions
that decrease or increase the range.
Strong southerly winds would run the
low tide much below the average. A
strong southerly gale on the coast at San
Francisco has run the high water to 9.93
feet, or more than three feet above the
average, as stated by Prof. George David
son.
The low June tides mentioned by Pro
fessor Davidson, offer exceptional oppor
tunities to the observer and collector of
marine life along the shore. So large an
area of the sea bed is uncovered that
many forms not to be had between or
dinary tides are then obtainable.
Then, too, the famous geoduck,* known
to science as Panopea generosa, the
"Giant clam of Puget -Sound," is ac
cessible. It sometimes reaches the weight
of sixteen pounds. From an epicurian
point of view, it holds the same relation
to other edible mollusks that woodcock
and Chesapeake Bay "canvas-backs" do
to other birds, and "stewed terrapin" to
other dainties. The late Professor Baird
would have given a thousand or two dol
lars to have successfully planted this bi
valve on the Atlantic side of the con
tinent.
South of the boundary line of the
United States and Mexico, on the outer
shores of the peninsula of Lower Cali
fornia, as well as in the Gulf of Cali
fornia, 600 to 700 miles long, the two
shores making a reach of 1,200 to 1,400
miles, we have a region which we may
safely assume includes many localities
exceptionally well adapted for oyster
culture. The general mollusk-fauna of
the Gulf is particularly rich in number of
species and abundance of individuals.
This fauna includes several species of
oysters, of which two more are of good,
merchantable size and worthy of men
tion, as sooner or later they will find a
place in trade quotations. One of these
* Pronounced gwo'-duck; also known as
Glycimeris generosa. See my paper on above,
with numerous figures, in Bulletin of the U. S.
Fish Commission, vol. II, No. 23, October 19,
1883, and Annual Report of the American
Fisheries Society, April meeting, 1885; also
Forest and Stream, May 28, 1885.
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